The Ultimate Sage Who Faked Incompetence and Was Disinherited Just Wants to Enjoy His New Life! - Episode 31: Off to the Royal Capital

Episode 31: Off to the Royal Capital 

A magic stone so large that I couldn’t reach both sides with my arms was being lifted by a cargo-handling magic tool. Everyone was buzzing with excitement. They were saying they had never seen such a massive magic stone before. However, the gaping hole in the deck was still a painful sight. 

After that, the captain thanked me over and over again. As Count Hauzinha had said, I wasn’t charged for the deck repairs. They even considered leaving the hole as a memorial for the Dragon subjugation. But I politely declined. That would definitely just be in the way. 

A celebratory banquet was held in honor of the Dragon’s defeat. All the food was provided for free—quite generous. But looking at it another way, it meant the situation had been that dangerous. 

Apparently, there were only about five magic-powered ships in this country. It made them extremely valuable. On top of that, many nobles were onboard. The fact that both the passengers and cargo remained unharmed made the cost of a celebration seem insignificant in comparison. It also seemed to serve as an apology for putting the passengers in danger. 

“Free food really is the best. Here, Lilia, this one looks delicious too.” 

I diligently served Lilia food. Thanks to my efforts, her mood was gradually improving. Before us was a feast of dishes I had never seen before. There really are so many unknown foods out there. 

“There are so many different dishes. Humans are really particular about food, huh?” 

“Yeah. I guess Fairies don’t eat food, do they? If there were such a thing as Fairy cuisine, I’d love to try it.” 

“There really isn’t any. Although, I once heard a story about someone offering ‘fairy cookies’ to the Fairy King…” 

“Fairy cookies? That sounds like something with some kind of blessing or magical effect.” 

“Well… maybe?” 

Lilia made a strange expression. If she knew how to make them, maybe I could ask her to teach me sometime. 

The banquet allowed people to leave whenever they wanted. Even the crew members took turns joining in. They’d certainly earned it. 

Before sunset, we returned to our private room. Since we were the heroes of the Water Dragon subjugation, we weren’t exactly allowed to slip away easily. By now, nearly everyone on the ship probably knew my face. Oh well, nothing I could do about that. 

As for the Water Dragon’s magic stone, I decided to entrust it to Sancho-san. I had no idea what to do with such a massive stone. But judging by his smile, he probably had some connections. As expected of a great merchant. 

Back in our room, Lilia and I shared a toast. I pulled out a fruit wine I had secretly acquired. 

“I think you’ll like this one, Lilia.” 

“Are we even allowed to drink?” 

“A little bit won’t hurt. I mean, I’m only here safe and sound thanks to you. Thanks, Lilia.” 

“Ugh, don’t say stuff like that… Protecting you is only natural.” 

I poured the wine into a cup made from a nutshell. Someday, I wanted to get Lilia her own special cup. Maybe I could have one made by a craftsman in the royal capital. That gave me a new goal for when we arrived. 

I poured myself a drink as well. 

“Alright then, a toast to our victory!” 

“A toast to Fel’s bravery!” 

We clinked our cups together and drank. Once in a while, moments like this weren’t so bad. 

Lilia seemed to really enjoy the fruit wine and downed it in one go. After just one cup, she was completely wasted. And of course—she stripped. 

— 

“Lilia, wake up. Today’s the day we arrive at the royal capital. You wanted to see it from the deck, remember?” 

“Mmm… Five more minutes…” 

“You said that earlier too. Come on, get up. And put some clothes on.” 

I wrapped the naked Lilia in a towel and laid her on the bed. Waking up with a naked Lilia sleeping right next to my face was way too stimulating for first thing in the morning. 

I had hurriedly covered her with a towel. But whether it was because of the heat or her bad sleeping posture, the moment I looked away, she ended up in an unbelievable position. 

Finally, Lilia got up and changed into her clothes.

………..…Why is she wearing lingerie meant for adult women? 

She still seemed half-asleep, but… who on earth taught her to wear something like that? 

Wait—could it have been Sancho-san’s wife, Mies-san!? Now that I think about it, they were chatting quite comfortably the other day… 

There was absolutely no way I could take Lilia to the dining hall dressed like this. Instead, I pulled some preserved food from my magic pouch for breakfast. 

“Geez, Fel, you pervert!” 

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for this to happen!” 

After finishing breakfast and washing her face, Lilia finally seemed to wake up. 

That was a relief—but then she glanced at her outfit, turned bright red, and let out a scream. She immediately changed into her usual clothes. 

…I still don’t get her standards for embarrassment. She’s totally fine being naked in the bath, but lingerie is unacceptable? How does that even work? 

After apologizing profusely, I somehow managed to get her to forgive me. With that settled, I took Lilia up to the deck. The pleasant wind was blowing as usual. It made yesterday’s Water Dragon attack seem like a distant memory. 

“Good morning, Fel-san.” 

“Good morning. Is everything going smoothly?” 

“Yes, we’re right on track. We should be able to see the royal capital by early afternoon.” 

A crew member greeted me. The fact that they remembered my name probably meant I had become something of a celebrity. Well, I guess it couldn’t be helped. It wasn’t like we could have just abandoned everyone and fled. 

After finishing an early lunch, I climbed up to the observation deck. Several people were already there. They were eagerly awaiting the sight of the royal capital. As I exchanged greetings with various passengers, the moment finally arrived. 

“I can see the capital!” 

Someone shouted. Following their voice, I turned my gaze forward—and there it was: a city completely surrounded by towering walls. As our ship advanced, the city grew larger and larger. It was enormous. Even if you combined Colibri and Everan, it still wouldn’t come close. 

“Amazing! I can’t believe they built such a massive city!” 

Lilia, perched on my head, let out a voice of astonishment. She had lived through countless ages. For someone like her to be this impressed—it had to be an incredibly large city. Well, it was the capital of the Fortune Kingdom, after all. 

The royal capital, Fortune, appeared to be divided by three massive walls. Naturally, even beyond the outermost wall, the city continued to sprawl outward. At its center stood a grand white castle, with the capital expanding outward in all directions from it. 

“Look, Lilia! You can see the ocean beyond the capital! This is my first time seeing it!” 

“You’re right! Once we finish this escort job, let’s go check it out. It looks like there’s even a port town nearby.” 

As Lilia had pointed out, there seemed to be a town near the coastline. I could also make out small ships dotting the sea. 

“I wonder if there’s any good food there?” 

“I’m sure there is! Maybe even some delicious liquor!” 

…Yeah, about that—let’s not go overboard. 

As the observation deck became livelier, an announcement rang out inside the ship: 

“We will be arriving at the royal capital shortly. Please prepare for disembarkation.” 

Hearing this, we returned to our room and got ready. 

“I guess most people are getting off at the capital?” 

“Yeah, probably. But since this ship is heading straight to the port town afterward, not everyone will be disembarking.” 

There were probably goods being transported from the port back to the capital. The magic-powered ship seemed to be an incredibly efficient means of transportation. No wonder towns near rivers tended to prosper. 

Once we finished preparing, we met up with Sancho-san and the others. After checking each other’s appearances, we waited for the ship to dock. From the deck, we could see the royal capital’s harbor. It was bustling with ships traveling up and down the river. The magic ship docked at a large pier. 

Soon after, a wooden bridge—similar to the one we had used in Everan—was set up. Once the crew finished their inspections, passengers and cargo wagons began disembarking one after another. 

“Well, as much as I’ll miss this ship, it’s time for us to go.” 

With Count Hauzinha leading the way, we, too, began our descent onto the royal capital’s soil.